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A platter of boiled crawfish laced with corn cobs, whole red potatoes, and pieces of sausage. Josh Brasted/Eater NOLA

23 Spots Boiling Crawfish in and Around New Orleans Right Now

Bring a sack home or pick ‘em onsite at these New Orleans-area spots boiling fresh, well-spiced crawfish

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Crawfish season is here. Best enjoyed with friends and family standing around a fold-up table, it’s the ultimate gathering food. While many boil their own, every New Orleanian also has a go-to spot to pick up sacks of the hot-boiled mudbugs for when they’re short on time or need a quick fix. The specialty can also be enjoyed at a number of sit-down restaurants in the area that offer both traditional Cajun seasoning and boils with a Vietnamese twist.

The list does not include restaurants that boil crawfish as an occasional special or bars that hold boils during the season. These are places that can be counted on to have crawfish whenever they’re open if it’s in season.

If we’re missing somewhere to get boiled crawfish right now, send us a tip.

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Bobby’s Seafood

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Bobby’s Seafood in Harahan is a seafood market that sells fresh and boiled seafood, as well as the traditional list of po’ boys (i.e. shrimp, oyster, catfish, roast beef, etc). The food is solid and the freshness of the seafood can’t be beat. It’s mostly a market, but there are a couple of tables.

Seither’s Seafood

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Seither’s is tucked away in Harahan and you’ll know you’ve arrived when you a small, brightly colored building in a little parking lot of discarded oyster shells. While Jason Seither’s menu dazzles in its creativity, it also nails the basics, including crawfish — it’s some of the best in South Louisiana, spiced beautifully and served in a fish camp-esque setting that makes the meal that much more enjoyable. Crawfish are boiling every day right now, and at an affordable price.

Mukbang Vietnamese Street Food

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Mukbang (the Korean word for “eating and broadcasting”) specializes in seafood plates with a Viet-Cajun spin, and offers options less common to the area, like lobsters, clams, and full-blown seafood towers. It also has the classics, including crawfish, right now, though throughout the season it’s wise to call ahead and double-check.

Captain Sid's

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Just down the street from Deanie’s, Captain Sid’s has been around for decades and specializes in fresh and boiled seafood. It’s a tidy operation with no tables, so plan on taking your loot with you. Before you go, check the deli case for stuffed crabs, crawfish pies, alligator sausage, and turtle soup to go. Call ahead to be sure it’s boiling.

Schaefer Seafood

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Call ahead to check inventory, price, and to place your order at this beloved Metairie seafood shop, and don’t forget cash. There are no tables here and the line can get long, but after 40 years of serving up some of the best boiled crawfish in town, staff helps it move fast. Check out the turtle soup in the case as well.

Deanie’s Seafood Restaurant (Multiple Locations)

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Deanie’s was the first seafood market to open its doors in the quaint fishing village of Bucktown over 40 years ago. Instead of a basket of bread upon sitting down, diners are given a little bowl of crawfish boil potatoes. In addition to spot-on, perfect boiled seafood, fried seafood is also killer. This is one of the few spots to enjoy your crawfish for dine-in, on Magazine, in Bucktown, or in the Quarter.

Frankie and Johnny's Restaurant

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It’s officially crawfish season at this Uptown favorite, where neighborhood regulars drink beer and gulp down crawfish on the front deck or at the lively bar. Also a destination for po’ boys and raw and chargrilled oysters.

The Blue Crab Restaurant and Oyster Bar

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This Lakeside staple offers its seafood with a side of live entertainment every weekend, an ever-lively option for slurping down oysters, crunching into fried seafood, and peeling crawfish. They are currently offered at both Lakeview and Slidell locations, but the restaurant recommends calling ahead first to make sure they haven’t run out.  

Clesi's Restaurant & Catering

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Once a catering operation that gained a following with crawfish boils, Clesi’s is now an essential crawfish destination in Mid City. James Clesi runs the restaurant and the catering arm with his siblings, Carlo Clesi and Sonya Clesi, serving some of the best crawfish around — think citrus, pepper, and clove. As a bonus, you get to watch them boil.

Bevi Seafood Co.

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Bevi Seafood started out in Metairie and gained such a following that the owners opened a second spot on Carrollton Avenue, now the only one, and it stays busy. The boiled and fried seafood is spot on, but it is obvious that a lot of attention is given to everything on the menu — even the fresh fruit frozen daiquiris.

Eater NOLA

Boil Seafood House

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Boil sits on the bustling corner of Magazine and Louisiana with a menu that includes the once-elusive Vietnamese-style boiled crawfish. Hieu Doan, who just opened sister restaurant Hieux Boil in Mid City, is behind the restaurant, which serves crawfish, crab, shrimp, lobster, mussels, or clams with Vietnamese, Cajun, garlic, or Caribbean flavors, plus diners get to choose how spicy they want their seafood.

BOIL Seafood House crawfish
Josh Brasted/Eater NOLA

Broadview Seafood

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Broadview is another great family-run Broad Street seafood market — this one calls itself the “Crawfish House of America.” Good prices and friendly service.

North Broad Seafood

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This grab-and-go, family-owned store on Broad is a hidden gem and one of the most pleasant spots to get boiled crawfish. The Nguyen family took over the ownership of North Broad Seafood back around 2007 and have been cooking up gumbo, po’ boys, red beans, and all varieties of boiled seafood items, known by the neighborhood as one of the best.

Mid City Seafood & Deli

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On those spring days when you just know everyone and their brother is looking to pick up crawfish, Mid City Seafood offers a less-crowded option where the line goes quickly. The crawfish (and other boiled seafood it serves) are well-spiced and reasonably priced.

Cajun Seafood (Multiple Locations)

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The Nguyen family boils such flavorful crawfish that there are four locations of the family’s shop, Cajun Seafood. In addition to grabbing bags of crawfish, try the marinated crab claws, stir-fry, yak-a-mein (shrimp, chicken, beef, or combo), and side items like pig feet and turkey necks.

Zimmer's Seafood

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Head down Elysian Fields into Gentilly to hit Zimmer’s on St. Anthony Avenue and you won’t be disappointed. A top crawfish destination, it’s also known for it’s hot sausage po’ boy.

Melba's on Elysian Fields Ave

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This 24/7 diner-style restaurant is popular for po’ boys and platters of red beans and rice, baked chicken, mac and cheese, baked chicken, wings, and fried pork chops. The original Elysian Fields location is currently serving crawfish — don’t forget to try one of the many daiquiris to wash ‘em down.

Big Ez Seafood

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There is a lot to enjoy at this West Bank seafood gem, including a top-notch Viet-Cajun boil, and it’s one of the best spots to get a huge amount of boiled crawfish — just be sure to call ahead. Dine in for great prices.

Nola Crawfish King Seafood & Barbecue

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Chris “Shaggy” Davis and team run Nola Crawfish King Seafood & Barbecue on Franklin Avenue, serving endless boiled seafood options as well as top-notch barbecue sandwiches and platters. Diners will know if there’s hot crawfish on deck if the flag’s out, and the shop’s Instagram stays up to date with complete crawfish info — but generally, if it’s crawfish season this spot will have them.

J & J Seafood

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They’ve been using the same boiled crawfish recipe since they opened the doors to J&J’s back in 1991 and that’s good — the crawfish is so popular that the spot has been known to sell out in under an hour. The focus is the food. Expect no frills or seating, but expect to be delighted.

Salvo's Seafood

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If you’ve ever dreamt of all-you-can-eat seafood that is fresh, perfectly cooked, and flavorful, this is your spot. The terms of the special change daily, so be sure to call ahead or check the website (it only happens at dinner). As far as crawfish, this is the spot for those 20-pound orders — the price gets lower at five pounds, and again at 20.

Castnet Seafood

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Castnet is a classic New Orleans seafood market in Little Woods, ever reliable for redfish filets, shrimp, crawfish, and even lobster. The charming spot also carries vegetables, locally-made delicacies, and since its great return, Hubig’s pies.

Today's Ketch Seafood

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Around (and loved) since the mid-1980s, the delightful Today’s Ketch offers fresh seafood to take home and prepare or the option to enjoy what they’re boiling on site. Solid deals on crawfish are available using the newly-created site, and the price goes down at 10 pounds.

Bobby’s Seafood

Bobby’s Seafood in Harahan is a seafood market that sells fresh and boiled seafood, as well as the traditional list of po’ boys (i.e. shrimp, oyster, catfish, roast beef, etc). The food is solid and the freshness of the seafood can’t be beat. It’s mostly a market, but there are a couple of tables.

Seither’s Seafood

Seither’s is tucked away in Harahan and you’ll know you’ve arrived when you a small, brightly colored building in a little parking lot of discarded oyster shells. While Jason Seither’s menu dazzles in its creativity, it also nails the basics, including crawfish — it’s some of the best in South Louisiana, spiced beautifully and served in a fish camp-esque setting that makes the meal that much more enjoyable. Crawfish are boiling every day right now, and at an affordable price.

Mukbang Vietnamese Street Food

Mukbang (the Korean word for “eating and broadcasting”) specializes in seafood plates with a Viet-Cajun spin, and offers options less common to the area, like lobsters, clams, and full-blown seafood towers. It also has the classics, including crawfish, right now, though throughout the season it’s wise to call ahead and double-check.

Captain Sid's

Just down the street from Deanie’s, Captain Sid’s has been around for decades and specializes in fresh and boiled seafood. It’s a tidy operation with no tables, so plan on taking your loot with you. Before you go, check the deli case for stuffed crabs, crawfish pies, alligator sausage, and turtle soup to go. Call ahead to be sure it’s boiling.

Schaefer Seafood

Call ahead to check inventory, price, and to place your order at this beloved Metairie seafood shop, and don’t forget cash. There are no tables here and the line can get long, but after 40 years of serving up some of the best boiled crawfish in town, staff helps it move fast. Check out the turtle soup in the case as well.

Deanie’s Seafood Restaurant (Multiple Locations)

Deanie’s was the first seafood market to open its doors in the quaint fishing village of Bucktown over 40 years ago. Instead of a basket of bread upon sitting down, diners are given a little bowl of crawfish boil potatoes. In addition to spot-on, perfect boiled seafood, fried seafood is also killer. This is one of the few spots to enjoy your crawfish for dine-in, on Magazine, in Bucktown, or in the Quarter.

Frankie and Johnny's Restaurant

It’s officially crawfish season at this Uptown favorite, where neighborhood regulars drink beer and gulp down crawfish on the front deck or at the lively bar. Also a destination for po’ boys and raw and chargrilled oysters.

The Blue Crab Restaurant and Oyster Bar

This Lakeside staple offers its seafood with a side of live entertainment every weekend, an ever-lively option for slurping down oysters, crunching into fried seafood, and peeling crawfish. They are currently offered at both Lakeview and Slidell locations, but the restaurant recommends calling ahead first to make sure they haven’t run out.  

Clesi's Restaurant & Catering

Once a catering operation that gained a following with crawfish boils, Clesi’s is now an essential crawfish destination in Mid City. James Clesi runs the restaurant and the catering arm with his siblings, Carlo Clesi and Sonya Clesi, serving some of the best crawfish around — think citrus, pepper, and clove. As a bonus, you get to watch them boil.

Bevi Seafood Co.

Bevi Seafood started out in Metairie and gained such a following that the owners opened a second spot on Carrollton Avenue, now the only one, and it stays busy. The boiled and fried seafood is spot on, but it is obvious that a lot of attention is given to everything on the menu — even the fresh fruit frozen daiquiris.

Eater NOLA

Boil Seafood House

Boil sits on the bustling corner of Magazine and Louisiana with a menu that includes the once-elusive Vietnamese-style boiled crawfish. Hieu Doan, who just opened sister restaurant Hieux Boil in Mid City, is behind the restaurant, which serves crawfish, crab, shrimp, lobster, mussels, or clams with Vietnamese, Cajun, garlic, or Caribbean flavors, plus diners get to choose how spicy they want their seafood.

BOIL Seafood House crawfish
Josh Brasted/Eater NOLA

Broadview Seafood

Broadview is another great family-run Broad Street seafood market — this one calls itself the “Crawfish House of America.” Good prices and friendly service.

North Broad Seafood

This grab-and-go, family-owned store on Broad is a hidden gem and one of the most pleasant spots to get boiled crawfish. The Nguyen family took over the ownership of North Broad Seafood back around 2007 and have been cooking up gumbo, po’ boys, red beans, and all varieties of boiled seafood items, known by the neighborhood as one of the best.

Mid City Seafood & Deli

On those spring days when you just know everyone and their brother is looking to pick up crawfish, Mid City Seafood offers a less-crowded option where the line goes quickly. The crawfish (and other boiled seafood it serves) are well-spiced and reasonably priced.

Cajun Seafood (Multiple Locations)

The Nguyen family boils such flavorful crawfish that there are four locations of the family’s shop, Cajun Seafood. In addition to grabbing bags of crawfish, try the marinated crab claws, stir-fry, yak-a-mein (shrimp, chicken, beef, or combo), and side items like pig feet and turkey necks.

Related Maps

Zimmer's Seafood

Head down Elysian Fields into Gentilly to hit Zimmer’s on St. Anthony Avenue and you won’t be disappointed. A top crawfish destination, it’s also known for it’s hot sausage po’ boy.

Melba's on Elysian Fields Ave

This 24/7 diner-style restaurant is popular for po’ boys and platters of red beans and rice, baked chicken, mac and cheese, baked chicken, wings, and fried pork chops. The original Elysian Fields location is currently serving crawfish — don’t forget to try one of the many daiquiris to wash ‘em down.

Big Ez Seafood

There is a lot to enjoy at this West Bank seafood gem, including a top-notch Viet-Cajun boil, and it’s one of the best spots to get a huge amount of boiled crawfish — just be sure to call ahead. Dine in for great prices.

Nola Crawfish King Seafood & Barbecue

Chris “Shaggy” Davis and team run Nola Crawfish King Seafood & Barbecue on Franklin Avenue, serving endless boiled seafood options as well as top-notch barbecue sandwiches and platters. Diners will know if there’s hot crawfish on deck if the flag’s out, and the shop’s Instagram stays up to date with complete crawfish info — but generally, if it’s crawfish season this spot will have them.

J & J Seafood

They’ve been using the same boiled crawfish recipe since they opened the doors to J&J’s back in 1991 and that’s good — the crawfish is so popular that the spot has been known to sell out in under an hour. The focus is the food. Expect no frills or seating, but expect to be delighted.

Salvo's Seafood

If you’ve ever dreamt of all-you-can-eat seafood that is fresh, perfectly cooked, and flavorful, this is your spot. The terms of the special change daily, so be sure to call ahead or check the website (it only happens at dinner). As far as crawfish, this is the spot for those 20-pound orders — the price gets lower at five pounds, and again at 20.

Castnet Seafood

Castnet is a classic New Orleans seafood market in Little Woods, ever reliable for redfish filets, shrimp, crawfish, and even lobster. The charming spot also carries vegetables, locally-made delicacies, and since its great return, Hubig’s pies.

Today's Ketch Seafood

Around (and loved) since the mid-1980s, the delightful Today’s Ketch offers fresh seafood to take home and prepare or the option to enjoy what they’re boiling on site. Solid deals on crawfish are available using the newly-created site, and the price goes down at 10 pounds.

Related Maps